


You're Something Else

by captainahmedica



Category: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-06
Updated: 2014-02-06
Packaged: 2018-01-11 10:14:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1171856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainahmedica/pseuds/captainahmedica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter and Flash are two boys who discover that what they really need is each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're Something Else

**Author's Note:**

> There's no plot or anything here, just feelings. Beware.

"I'm sorry.”

The words slipped from Peter's mouth sounding more like a croak than anything. He cleared his throat and tried again.

“I'm...” he tested his vocal chords, “...sorry.”

Flash looked up from his lunch tray, mouth half full with chicken nuggets. He furrowed his brow as if to say 'What?'

“Sorry. For shoving you against the locker the other day.” Peter dropped his glance to his food. He absently poked at his mashed potatoes with his fork.

Flash finally swallowed his food, “What? You don't need to apologize...”

“I just—”

“No, stop. You don't need to apologize,” he paused for a moment, then, “You don't—” he hesitated, “I deserved it.” His eyelids narrowed as he focused on Peter. Peter tilted his head up and brought his eyes to meet Flash's.

They said nothing for what seemed like forever. 

Finally, Flash broke his gaze, gathered his things and got up from the table.

“I deserved it, alright? I deserved everything,” he mumbled just loud enough for Peter to make out his words. Peter's eyes followed Flash as he quickly made his way out of the cafeteria doors.

Peter, confused because that was not how he imagined that conversation going, got up after a moment and tossed what was left of his food away before following Flash out to the courtyard. He found him leaning against a pole, hands buried in his pockets, hood drawn over his head. He approached him cautiously.

“Flash...” Peter reached out a hand to Flash's shoulder when the boy spun around suddenly.

“Hit me.”

Peter froze, dumbfounded.

“Hit me,” Flash repeated.

“What? What is this, Fight Club?”

“Hit me,” he pulled his hands out of his pockets.

“No, Flash, I'm not going to hit you. This is crazy.”

He pulled his hood off aggressively and shouted, “Fucking hit me, Parker!”

“Why can't you just accept my apology?”

“You shouldn't the one apologizing. You and I both know that.”

“So this is how you apologize? Making me hit you?”

“You're talking too God damn much, Parker. Shut up and hit me already.”

“No, Flash.”

“Hit me,” he gritted his teeth. His jaw rolled and his eyes became slits.

“No.”

“HIT ME!” he finally yelled, closing his fists at his sides and shutting his eyes tight.

They stood in silence for a while. Peter's eyes looked all around Flash and, he wasn't sure why he did it, but it came naturally and it felt right when he finally did. He lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Flash. His body was tense at first, but he finally collapsed into Peter's embrace, like a stone crumbling. He gripped at he back of Peter's hoodie like it was a lifeline and Peter could feel a few soft sobs escape the boy who tried so hard to be the man his father wanted to him be.

“I'm... I'm sorry, Pete, I just...” Flash muffled into Peter's shoulder between breaths. 

“Don't you fucking dare ever say you deserve it ever again, you hear me?” Peter whispered against his ear.

–

Peter didn't want to come out to Flash as Spider-Man, but he didn't know where else to go for help. He was hurt, both physically and emotionally, and needed someone he knew he could trust that wasn't Gwen. Not right now, at least.

When he appeared in Flash's window that night in the suit, he wasn't sure what to expect. Flash might as well have actually been The Flash with how quickly he bolted from his bed to the window to let Spider-Man in. In his excitement, he forgot how to speak.

“Hey, Flash...” Peter spoke through the mask.

“Spi—wait, what? How... how do you know my name?” Flash's expression was a mixture of awe and disbelief.

“Flash, it's me,” his voice was clearer now that he pulled off the mask. It was dark and Flash could only make out a silhouette.

“Parker...?” he was quiet for a while before he went and flipped the light switch and revealed Peter's face. “Holy shit, Parker?!”

–

“Are you sure this is web stuff is safe? I'm not light...”

“Do you trust me?”

“What are you, Aladdin?”

“Only if that makes you Jasmine.”

“Fuck you, Parker.”

Peter laughed. “Here, hold on to me.” Flash wrapped his arms around Peter and interlaced his fingers tightly. “Ready?”

“No.”

With that, Peter, wearing all but his mask, swung out of Flash's window and into the city streets. The air was warm and the night was quiet and still. Peter had one arm gripping Flash; Flash had both arms and even his legs wrapped around the boy. His eyes were shut tight. Peter caught on to his shallowed breaths and his tensed muscles.

“Are you scared?”

“No...” he said the word calmly, then promptly gasped when he opened his eyes and saw just how high they had ascended. “Fuck, slow down... where are we going?”

“What are you afraid of heights?”

“No!” he shot back. “Maybe, a little,” he corrected. “Just... how much longer?”

“Almost there.”

The wind blew Peter's messy brown hair in all directions. Flash glanced up at Peter and saw this before laying his head against Peter's shoulder again and taking a deep breath. He could smell the boy's scent—some kind of mixture of body wash and shampoo and deodorant and whatever else that was just Peter—and something about that gave him butterflies in his stomach. Or maybe that was a result of the constant free-falling sensation. Whatever it was, it didn't feel so bad. He felt safe. Somewhat.

When they finally landed, Flash found himself reluctant to let go of his grip on Peter, yet relieved to be on two feet. That is, until he walked over to the ledge and saw just how high up the building Peter had perched them on top of was. Peter sat himself with his leg dangling over said ledge. Flash decided to sit a safe distance away from certain death, a little behind Peter with his legs crossed.

Flash wished he could take a picture from where he was sitting: a perfectly framed silhouette of Spider-Man, sitting on a rooftop overlooking the city.

“I come up here a lot when I'm feeling shitty.”

“Is that why you brought me here?”

“Kind of. It's kind of like... my 'spot.' You know how in movies and stuff, those kids always have like a cliff or something overlooking their town? This is my version of that, I guess. Gives me... perspective. I don't know,” Peter explained in a low voice. He turned to look back at Flash. They were quiet for a bit. It was too dark for Flash to tell if Peter was looking directly at him, but he held his gaze at the boy.

“Can I ask you a question?” Flash finally spoke. Peter nodded. “Why do you do it?” He slid himself closer to Peter before reiterating, “I mean, how do you justify putting yourself in danger all the time to deal with everyone else's crap?”

Peter let out a slow exhale. “My uncle, he uh, well...” he inhaled and exhaled again and gave himself a chance to gather his thoughts, “...he told me that, well, he told me that my father had this philosophy or whatever. That if you had the ability to do good things for other people, you had a moral obligation to do those things. So it's not really a choice... it's more of a responsibility, I guess.”

“But Pete, you're just one person. That's a lot of responsibility.”

“I know.”

“Did he know?”

“No... he uh,” Peter cracked a hint of a smile, “he told me that the night he... we had a little argument, and...” he trailed.

Flash could hear Peter's voice trembling. “Whoa... I'm sorry, dude.” He lifted his hand to place it on Peter's back and hovered there for a bit, unsure of whether the move was kosher. He rubbed circles into Peter's back and Peter tilted his head to the sky, letting out a heavy sigh. Kosher. He slid right up next to Parker, still cross-legged because he was terrified he might slip if he let his feet dangle off the edge, and put his arm around him.

“So then, who takes care of the Spider-Man when he's down?” Flash could feel Peter shrugging slightly.

“I guess that's why I brought you here. I... I don't know.”

Flash couldn't help but smile. “You know, Parker, you're... you're something else.” He knew what he felt but he couldn't put it into words. For the first time, in a long time, he felt a wash of calm come over him. He was content. Like he could stay there, with Peter, forever. Here, he was happy.

“Thanks, I guess...” Peter smiled at Flash's cryptic remark and returned the gesture, wrapping an arm around Flash and pulling him closer.


End file.
